PS210 History of Psychology Unit 8 Nichola Cohen Ph.D.
What is the difference between Psychoanalysis and the other schools of thought?
Previous schools of thought Experimental Dealt with sensation, perception and learning Psychoanalysis Deals with abnormal behavior Primary method was clinical observation, not experimentation Deals with the unconscious
Prior to psychoanalysis, how did we deal with mental illness?
Long held belief that people with mental illness were possessed by evil spirits. Treatment involved torture and execution Around 15 th C they were punished for witchcraft Around 18 th C they were viewed as irrational and confined to institutions 1800’s Philippe Pineal showed that talking to people about their problems could improve their condition – led to widespread study of mental illness 19 th C approaches to mental illness Somatic approach – mental illness has a physical cause Psychic approach – mental illness has an emotional cause
Sigmund Freud
Concepts of unconscious and sex central to his work
Sigmund Freud Concepts of unconscious and sex central to his work Oedipus complex – fear of the father and attraction to the mother Influenced by the work of Joseph Breuer Anna O suffered from paralysis, memory loss etc Breuer treated her using catharsis
Sigmund Freud Concepts of unconscious and sex central to his work Oedipus complex – fear of the father and attraction to the mother Influenced by the work of Joseph Breuer Anna O suffered from paralysis, memory loss etc Breuer treated her using catharsis The process of eliminating an issue by recalling and expressing it Developed the technique of free association
Sigmund Freud Concepts of unconscious and sex central to his work Oedipus complex – fear of the father and attraction to the mother Influenced by the work of Joseph Breuer Anna O suffered from paralysis, memory loss etc Breuer treated her using catharsis The process of eliminating an issue by recalling and expressing it Developed the technique of free association Patient says whatever comes to mind To bring repressed memories into awareness
Sigmund Freud Concepts of unconscious and sex central to his work Oedipus complex – fear of the father and attraction to the mother Influenced by the work of Joseph Breuer Anna O suffered from paralysis, memory loss etc Breuer treated her using catharsis The process of eliminating an issue by recalling and expressing it Developed the technique of free association Patient says whatever comes to mind To bring repressed memories into awareness Memories excluded from consciousness Freud thought they accounted for abnormal behavior
Id, ego and superego Id
Id, ego and superego Id Corresponds to unconscious experience (least accessible part of personality) Aligns with instincts It’s purpose is to make you happy
Id, ego and superego Id Corresponds to unconscious experience (least accessible part of personality) Aligns with instincts It’s purpose is to make you happy Superego
Id, ego and superego Id Corresponds to unconscious experience (least accessible part of personality) Aligns with instincts It’s purpose is to make you happy Superego Moral aspect of personality Derived from rules we learn from parents and society It’s purpose is to make you behave sensibly
Id, ego and superego Id Corresponds to unconscious experience (least accessible part of personality) Aligns with instincts It’s purpose is to make you happy Superego Moral aspect of personality Derived from rules we learn from parents and society It’s purpose is to make you behave sensibly Ego
Id, ego and superego Id Corresponds to unconscious experience (least accessible part of personality) Aligns with instincts It’s purpose is to make you happy Superego Moral aspect of personality Derived from rules we learn from parents and society It’s purpose is to make you behave sensibly Ego Mediator between id and superego Represents reason/rationality
Id, ego and superego
Why was Freud so heavily criticized?
His work was heavily influenced by sexuality (particular sexuality in children) which was very unpopular His work was non-scientific – it was based on observations and his own experience He did not write transcripts of his notes, he would write them later He had a small sample size (~ 12 cases) Many of his ideas have not been supported scientifically
What valuable contributions did Freud make?
The concept of the unconscious is very important in modern psychology Many of his ideas have been scientifically supported (e.g. the idea that dreams reflect emotional concerns) His work is thought to have played a large part in increased sexual freedom in the 20 th C While Freudian psychotherapy is not popular anymore it led to the development of other approaches which remain popular.
Carl Jung Analytical Psychology
Carl Jung Analytical Psychology Focus was on inner growth, rather than interpersonal relationships He thought people were not only shaped by the past but by their future hopes and goals Thought there were 2 levels to the unconscious mind Personal unconscious – experiences from a persons life they have forgotten Collective unconscious – contains experiences from previous generations Introversion vs extraversion
How did later psychoanalysts differ from Freud?
Less emphasis on sexual factors More of a focus on conscious thoughts (although unconscious factors did remain popular) Followers focused more on social and environmental influences on behavior
Humanistic Psychology
The idea that we should study the best of people as well as the worst Abraham Maslow Hierarchy of needs